BusinessWeek Mindanao (December 2, 2017)

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New Zealand AID NEW ZEALAND has committed a $2.5 million to support agricultural development and food security in Mindanao, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.

In a statement, the FAO said the project is aimed at restoring the agricultural livelihoods of communities affected by armed conflict, drought and flooding in the provinces of Cotabato, Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur from 2015 to 2017.

The project is expected to reach 3,000 farming families in Maguindanao and Cotabato provinces alone.

IN-DEPTH

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Saturday | December 2, 2017

By LEN VELASCO, Contributor

HE Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development (CEED), an independent, think-do institution engaged in issues of energy, environment, and development in the Philippines, expressed opposition to the convening of a global clean coal alliance—a proposal made by the US Delegation to the Conference of Parties (COP23).

According to CEED R e s e a r c h , Po l i c y a n d Advocacy Officer Ar vin Buenaagua, “coal is the dirtiest of all fossil fuels.

It s c onsu mpt i on e m it s sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, mercury, and other particulate matters. It is a huge contributor to smogs, air pollution, and acid myth/PAGE 11

Lapasan Highway, Cagayan de Oro City

P15.00

Davao bid as PH Halal hub gets boost

By ARMANDO FENEQUITO, JR. , PNA

DAVAO City -- The opening of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Halal Verification Laboratory in Davao City will boost the city’s bid as a halal hub not only in the country, but also in the Brunei-IndonesiaMalaysia-Philippines-East ASE A N Grow t h Are a (BIMP-EAGA).

This will also open more opportunities for Davao City as halal products have a huge market, especially in the Middle East.

DOST assistant regional director for technical support services Mirasol D om i ngo s ai d D av a o entrepreneurs who are exporting or going to halal/PAGE 11

USAID expands dev’t program in Mindanao

Undocumented Indons DAVAO City -- The Indonesian Consular Office will provide assistance to more undocumented Indonesians living in Mindanao.

Indonesian Consul General Berlian Napitupulu said the Consulate, together with the Philippine Department of Justice (DOJ), Bureau of Immigration (BIR), and with the help of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has been working together to assist these undocumented Indonesians.

Napitupulu said there is an estimated 68 Indonesian communities in Mindanao and based on the study by the UNHCR there are 8,745 people of Indonesian descent.

“They were here for a long time already, even before Indonesian independence.

Some of them belong to the third generation, even fourth generation; and unfortunately they were undocumented persons of Indonesiandescent,” Napitupulu said during his guesting at the Habi at Kape Medium Forum held at Abreeza Mall on Nov. 22.

Cagayan de Oro

Clean coal is a myth, claims Energy group www.businessweekmindanao.com

As of 6:00 pm December 1, 2017 (friday)

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YOUR Mindanao-wide BUSINESS paper

VIEW FROM THE TOP. Members of the Ulama League and representatives of the sultanates of Ranao view the destruction of the surrounding areas from the top of the Jameo Mindanao Al-Islamie, also known as Islamic Center or Grand Mosque in Marawi City during their first visit in six months. The mosque was used by the IS-inspired Maute and Abu Sayyaf groups as their “command center” and “snipers’ nest.” Government took control of the area on August 24. Ground Zero visits were organized by the military for various sectors in the last two weeks. mindanews photo by carolyn o. arguillas

GENERAL Santos City - - T he Un ite d St ate s Agency for International Development (USAID) has formally adopted this city as expansion area for its innovative Cities Development Initiative (CDI).

USAID and the city government forged a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Monday for the implementation of a range of initiatives that will

further enhance the area’s socio-economic growth and development.

City Mayor Ronnel Rivera signed the MOU for the local government while USAID was represented by its mission director to the Philippines Lawrence Hardy II. “This is a major boost to our socio-economic and development initiatives. We are very grateful to USAID for including our city in the expands/PAGE 11

Banana industry sees output recovering, wants government help on tariffs BANANA INDUSTRY output is recovering to near 2012 levels, and growers believe they may be in position to compete again in traditional export markets with some help from the government in negotiating lower tariffs.

“We are recovering in volume production. No estimates yet but I believe it will be higher than last year,” Pilipino Banana Growers and recovering/PAGE 11

MOUNTAIN OF WASTE COBS. An elderly man sifts for corn kernels from a mountain of waste cobs at Aurora, Sta. Josefa, Agusan del Sur. photo by jun ayensa

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Economy 2 10 more barangays allowed to return home in Marawi M Advertising and Editorial E-mail : businessweekmindanao@gmail.com Contact nos. : 0917-7121424 • 0947-8935776

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By JOSE MICHAEL U. LACRE, Contributor

ARAWI City – The local government unit

(LGU) of Marawi and partner agencies continue to strengthen assistance

programs for internally displaced persons (IDPs), as they embark on the second wave of Kambalingan for the

second cluster of the cleared barangays, which include 10 barangays.

According to records, out of the 96 barangays in

DTI AgSur biz development team, producers learn branding concepts

PROSPERIDAD, Agusan del Sur – Fourteen (14) of the province's producers and graduates of the Kapatid Mentor Me (KMME) program joined what was originally planned as a staff capability building on branding held at SAFRAGEMC Hall, San Francisco, this province.

This turned out

providential as the trainees were able to discuss the branding concepts and principles via "live" cases.

The rest of the class includes the Department of Trade and IndustryAgusan del Sur (DTIAdS) three business development staff and 14 Negosyo Center (NC) counselors.

Clark Nebrao,

Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship (PCE)accredited KMME mentor served as resource person and mentor.

Nebrao is also a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Mentorship for Entrepreneurs Network (AMEN).

He pointed-out that businesses normally focus

only on production and processing and are not interested in obtaining a brand name for their product until such time that the name that they have been using for a long time is already owned by a competing producer.

"If you could explain your brand in seven seconds, that means you branding/PAGE 11

Marawi, 42 are at the brink of possible return. The most affected area has 24 barangays and was declared to undergo intensive clearing and recovery operation.

The Marawi City hall has laid out significant foundations and prepared schemes to resume operations of public services provided by LGUs in aid of returning residents.

At present, the LGU, Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM) and stakeholders are strengthening their coordination to properly implement the government’s plan to bring Marawi City into a better state.

The next Kambalingan will be scheduled after barangay local government and partner agencies have conducted assessment and

profiling.

Meanwhile, Mayor Majul Gandamra said proposals and inputs from different sectors are greatly considered to institute systematic and inclusive action points for Marawi City’s rehabilitation.

“That would be one of the basis for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Marawi City. Kasi on-going po ang pagbuo natin ng comprehensive master plan. Importante po na isama natin ang iba’t ibang sector, lalo na po ang ating mga IDPs, ang ating mga constituents dahil sila po ang end-users. Lahat po ng gagawin natin sa Marawi City, ay sila po ang pinakaapektado.” said Gandamra.

(JL/PIA TFBM ICCC)

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Cagayan de Oro City government employees play badminton Friday in their ongoing City Hall sportsfest which will culminate in December. photo by mark francisco

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CorporateWorld

Cebu Landmasters eyes P1.7-B profit next year

L

ISTED property developer Cebu Landmasters Inc. (CLI) aims to hit P1.7billion profit by 2018, about 42 percent higher than this year’s projected level, as it launches more projects in the Visayas and Mindanao.

In a briefing, Jose Franco

Soberano, CLI Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, said the company also targets revenue of P5.3 billion in 2018, up 47 percent from this year’s estimated PP3.6 billion.

Soberano said the firm would introduce to the market next year 20 new developments,

which include residential subdivisions and condominiums, offices, industrial park, hotel and central business district located in Cebu, Bacolod, Iloilo, Davao and Cagayan de Oro. “Growth will (also) be driven by the company’s ongoing projects, which will be

completed in 2018,” he added.

CLI fortifies its footprint in Visayas and Mindanao by purchasing lands in strategic locations like Davao, Bacolod, Mandaue, Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo and Dumaguete.

Earlier this year, CLI launched P8 billion worth

of projects strengthening its presence in Cebu, Davao while expanding its garden series to Bacolod and by introducing residential subdivision to Dumaguete.

The company is bullish on achieving the P1.2 billion net income target for 2017. (PNA)

Del Monte Pacific maps turnaround plan Toyota Tsusho keen DEL MONTE Pacific Ltd. (DMPL) mapped out a turnaround path for the company as it made a pitch to investors for its second tranche of US dollardenominated shares that are on offer through Dec. 8.

Luis F. Alejandro, DMPL general manager and chief operating officer, said the most important factor for investors to look at is the organization’s new make up.

“We have a new CEO, new CFO, new supply chain head, we have a new sales head and up and coming very soon in the

next couple of months would be a chief marketing officer,” he said in an interview at the company’s headquarters at Bonifacio Global City on Tuesday.

DMPL is offering the Series A-2 preferred shares with an oversubscription option of up to 8 million.

The shares have a par value of $1 each and an issue price of $10 per share.

The shares have a dividend rate of 6.5% per annum.

The funds raised from the offering will be used mainly to pay the balance of a $154 million loan

from BDO Unibank, Inc. “So we have overhauled the leadership team after two years because only in doing so, can we at least increase our chances of fast turnaround,” Mr. Alejandro said.

Turning the business around, he said, boils down to the company’s leadership and management.

“So I think in that perspective, that’s the most important development that has happened in the past six months,” the DMPL executive said.

“With the right leadership you exactly know what will

happen.”

Mr. Alejandro also said the company hired consultants on how the company could further downsize its operations in the US. “For the US, they have given us some good guidance on how we can downsize, and with downsizing the operation, we will be more competitive in our pricing and the same time, we’ll have more cash that we can put into profit and put into marketing spending that will further drive volume, revenue and maps/PAGE 10

on Alsons’ renewable energy projects ALSONS Consolidated Resources, Inc. (ACR) expects its capacity from renewable energy sources to reach roughly 20% of its total energy output by 2022-23, with its long-time Japanese partner Toyota Tsusho Corp. possibly taking a stake on a perproject basis.

Joseph C. Nocos, vicepresident for business development at Alsons, said Toyota Tsusho is “keenly anticipating” its

entry into the projects, which is expected to reach a total capacity of 149.3 megawatts (MW).

“Once we finalize the EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) contract, they will know the investment requirements,” he told reporters in a briefing in Makati City.

Mr. Nocos was referring to the EPC contract for 15.1-MW keen/PAGE 10

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Opinion

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War on malaria

have my say Businessweek Mindanao Corporation Publisher DANTE M. SUDARIA President/CEO

ALLAN mario MEDIANTE

Vice President for Corporate Affairs

RUFINO T. MAGBANUA

Vice President for Business Development

Joe felicilda

Vice President for Administration

JOHN AARON M. DEL BANDO

Vice President for Events and Promotions

joe palabao

Vice President for Marketing

NELSON CONSTANTINO Editor-in-Chief

gilbert y. chao Motoring Editor

JUN AYENSA

Regional Editor - Caraga

Cris diaz ATTY. antonio s. soriano mike baños 2f, ICS Building BONG FABE Tel.No.: 881-0176 Uriel quilinguing Tiano cor. Montalvan sts.

Contributing Editors Legal Counsel CLIFFORD SANTILLAN Layout Artist

ATTY. MARIO T. JUNI

ABEGAIL BAYNOSA Sandra encoY

Juni Law Office Cruz Taal St., CDO Legal Counsel

klaus doring I remember the time travelling around the world starting at the end 1970’s and always having in mind: Malaria! The war on malaria has been a victory for human health, driving deaths down and life expectancy up. But meanwhile, experts fear that the positive trajectory is starting to shift.

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The hidden child think a minute

jhan tiafau hurst Think a minute…Did you know that there is a hidden child inside you? And your hidden child still affects the way you feel, think, and live as an adult. A wise man said: “The child is the father of the man.” The man is simply the boy who grew up. The important question is: Did we grow up? Or did we just grow older? Do we still have some of the same attitudes and thinking we had as children and teenagers?

The hidden child inside us can continue to control us as adults. So if we don’t get over our past hurts or childish thinking, then we can continue damaging our own life, as well as the lives of those close to us. Our hidden child can hurt our wife or husband and our own children. In marriage, it’s not just two people living

together but four people: the husband and wife as adults, and the husband and wife as the children they used to be. Maybe you still have fears and very little self-confidence.

You still wrongly think that you’re not smart or talented enough to succeed at anything. Maybe you still can’t get really close to people in a relationship because you’re afraid they will not like and accept you just the way you are.

But we do not have to live our whole lives being hurt and held back by our hidden child’s past pain and fears.

First, we must honestly admit that we need help and healing inside. Then, we must ask Jesus Christ to show us our hidden, hurting child inside, so we can receive His inner healing and forgive those who hurt us as children or teenagers.

Finally, we must ask Jesus to take charge of our heart and help us choose to grow up by changing our immature ways of thinking and treating people. Today, Jesus will start setting you free from your painful childhood, so you can fully become the strong, mature man or woman He created you to be. Just Think a Minute…

disease. “Although there are some bright spots in the data, the overall decline in the global malaria burden has unquestionably leveled of f,” Ghebreyesus said.

“And, in some countries and regions, we are beginning to see reversals in the gains achieved.”

Fewer people are dying from malaria, but the rate of progress has slowed — especially in Africa.

Experts fear financial shortfalls and government complacency have thrown progress off track. “At the current level of funding and coverage of current tools, we have reached the limits of what can be achieved in the fight against the disease,” said Abdisalan Noor, lead author of the WHO’s annual

malaria report.

Investment into malaria prevention — a third of which came from the US last year — has leveled off since 2010.

Analysis by the WHO found that funding in countries with a high risk of malaria had dropped to an average of less than two dollars per person per year.

The WHO says a minimum annual investment of $6.5 billion (€5.5 billion) is required to meet its ambitious 2030 targets.

Funding in 2016 stood at just $2.7 billion.

The majority of malaria casualties are children under the age of five in sub-Saharan Africa. Insecticide-coated mosquito nets are an effective method of prevention. malaria/PAGE 11

Hypocrites on “RevGov”

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The global fight against ma lar ia is g r inding to a halt, the World Health Organization warned on Wednesday (yesterday, I am writing this piece November 30, 2017!), amid flat-lining funding and political complacency.

Ma l ar i a infe c te d an e s t i m at e d 2 1 6 m i l l i on people last year — about 5 million more than in 2015 — potentially reversing a six-year trend of decreasing infection cases. The majority of the 440,000 lives claimed by the mosquito-borne disease were young children in subSaharan Africa.

WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said “progress appears to have stalled” in the fight against the tropical

Batas Mauricio LIFE’S INSPIRATIONS: “… I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people--for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness…” (1 Timothy 2:2, the Holy Bible).

-ooo HYPOCRITES ON “REVGOV”: Hypocrites!

This is what I call those who are loudly opposing the putting up of a revolutionary government in the Philippines to d ay. This is b e c aus e

these people are known conspirators in earlier power grabs against legitimately installed presidents and governments in the country.

Yes, these noisy patriotpretenders have no right questioning the desire of a greater number of Filipinos to establish a revolutionary government at this point, because they themselves are tainted with the dark spirits of rebellion and diabolical dis ob edience to lawful authorities and institutions.

Indeed, these hypocrites should not be questioning a revolutionary government in the country. They were the ones who did this first.

So, why should they now figh the establishment of a similar revolutionar y government by other civicminded Filipinos? Is there danger if other Filipinos will be the ones to put up a revolutionary government?

Or, are they saying they are the only ones who have a right to engage in a revolution?

-ooo CURRENT SITUATION IN RP RIPE FOR “REVGOV”: These hypocrites say there is a great difference between the situations obtaining at this time, during the presidency of President Duterte, and in 1986, during the time of one Corazon Aquino, relative to the installation of a revolutionary government.

Oh my! I say, these people shou l d b e ashame d of themselves. Indeed, the question is, is there really any difference here?

Both of them---Duterte and Aquino---are presidents, although one was elected by some 16 million Filipinos, and the other was installed by virtue of the meddling of the United States which acted in cahoots with their Filipino puppets or lapdogs.

And, concededly, the country is facing the same debilitating situations under the two presidencies.

D u r i ng t he t i me of Corazon Aquino, her allies

claimed then, to justify her declaration of a revolutionary government, that the systems in place then were no longer effective for them. With Duterte, everybody agrees that the same institutions are similarly incapacitated now, on account of the previous presidents’ virtual permission for the proliferation of drugs, criminality, smuggling, and foreign domination of our culture, economy, and government.

-ooo “REVGOV” IS CONSTITUTIONAL: We should not forget that the highest level of power in the Philippines is lodged in the hands of the people themselves. If the people would themselves decide to put up a revolutionary government, that cannot be considered by anyone as illegal or violative of the Constitution or other existing laws.

That would in effect be revgov/PAGE 11

The wisdom of silence hints and traces

roy cimagala Especially in these toxic days when we hear a lot of noise in talkshows and in the field of politics, where we are bombarded with all sorts of wrangling, bashing, and slamming, it’s good to revisit the indispensable role of silence in our life so we can recover our proper bearing in this world that seems to be spinning fast to self-destruction.

Silence actually speaks volumes, a lot more than all the ideas, words, theories, and opinions we can produce. If it is the silence of God, of Christ before Pilate and Herod, then

we have the silence that is the best response to all the clacking around.

It is the silence that indicates that one is willing to suffer and even die for whatever, because no matter what we say or do, the world will always be in its erratic ways, and it will only take the death of Christ to resolve everything, a death that leads to his resurrection.

That is why we are told to be patient, to deny ourselves and to carry our daily cross.

These are no defeatist divine indications. They contain a lot of wisdom that goes beyond the wisdom of the flesh, the wisdom of the world and of the devil who is the father of lies.

We need to see to it that we keep a firm grip on our emotions. When not guided and inspired by faith, our emotions get easily provoked and can open the gates for pride to come pouring in and dominating us. And we end up with a worse scenario.

Silence can be an expression

of great strength, the strength of Christ himself who was willing to suffer for the sins of men in order to deliver death to our sins and conquer them with his resurrection.

We should always be guided by our faith, and more specifically, by the example of Christ, especially in his passion, death and resurrection where we can see the victory of silence over the shouts of the people, “Crucify him, crucify him!”

We have to spend time meditating on this Paschal Mystery of Christ because that is the key that opens the gate of true wisdom.

There we will see that evil is properly responded with goodness, anger and hatred with calmness, meekness and humility. There we will see that shouts, screams and all sorts of noise are properly responded with silence.

If we respond evil with evil, anger with anger, then we would just be acting out the primitive Law of Talion of eye

for an eye, tooth for a tooth, that would only lead us to kill one another, or at least leave us all blind and toothless.

Rather, we have to follow what St. John of the Cross once said: “Where there is no love, put love. And you will find love.” We should just focus on proclaiming the truth and all good values without engaging in bitter discussions that can attract a lot of unwelcome guests.

The meditation of the Paschal Mystery lays to rest the deceptive reasoning of our flesh, the world and the devil. It gives us the global picture of things, broadening our vision and deepening our understanding of things. It shows us the finer points of charity and bridges the gap between our sinful world and our true definitive home in heaven with God our Father.

We s h o u l d n e v e r underestimate the importance and necessity of silence in our life! roycimagala@gmail.com.

5 Estate tax tops proposed Senate’s tax reform measure more tax amnesty program: DOF supportive of consumption: study Advertising and Editorial E-mail : businessweekmindanao@gmail.com Contact nos. : 0917-7121424 • 0947-8935776

saturday|december 2, 2017

ANY tax amnesty measure of the Duterte government, eyed for implementation in 2018, will start with estate taxes.

Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said he agrees with Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno’s timeline of tax amnesty implementation next year but clarified that “we haven’t discussed it yet”.

The proposed tax amnesty program, eyed to bring in additional revenues for the government, is part of the proposed tax reform program, the first package of which has been approved by the House of Representatives and is still being deliberated by the Senate.

Economic managers are confident that the proposed tax reform program will be passed before the end of the year for the tax amnesty measure, among others, to be put in place.

Dominguez said they have calculated how much would be gained from the tax amnesty program but noted that it will be done amnesty/PAGE 10

Banking&Finance

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HE Senate version of the proposed tax reform bill has lesser inflationary impact and is more supportive of domestic consumption, according to Credit Suisse, a global financial service company.

After the Senate approved on third and final reading its tax reform measure Monday night, Credit Suisse said in a report released Tuesday that the Senate

version will yield an additional PHP100 billion to PHP130 billion tax-take in its first year of implementation.

While this amount is lower than the P175 billion gains from the House version, the Credit Suisse report said the Senate version has lesser impact on inflation. “(The Senate version is) more supportive of consumption overall,” it said.

In the report,

the global financial services giant said it considers the House of Representatives’ version to increase inflation by about 0.9 percent to 1.2 percent in 2018 because of tax changes.

This is not expected from the Senate version because “fuel excise taxes are backloaded rather than front-loaded” and “tax increases such as on sugary drinks are lower.”

Credit Suisse also said that “the newly

introduced taxes such as documentary stamp tax, mining taxes, and cosmetic procedures are narrow and on specific sectors rather than broad-based” and that exemptions for the value-added tax (VAT) “are kept for items such as low-cost rentals and mass housing in the Senate version.”

“A corollary is that the Senate bill is slightly more supportive of private consumption, with personal income

tax cuts front-loaded in one tranche in the Senate bill compared with two tranches in the House version (2018 and 2020), based on latest available information,” it said.

The study, however, cited that even as hurdles in the Senate had surpassed the measure, it still has to gain approval from the Bicameral Conference Committee before it can be submitted to the President. (PNA)

Budget gap for 2017 may fall below target on rise of revenues ECONOMIC managers predict that the P82.1 billion budget deficit ceiling for 2017 may not be achieved partly because of sustained improvement in revenue collections.

Data released by the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) Thursday showed that revenues as of endOctober this year rose by 10 percent year-on-year to P2.006 trillion.

For the month of October alone, revenues

amounted to P205.1 billion, 17 percent jump against year-ago’s P174.6 billion.

Expenditures during the 10-month period also expanded by 10 percent to P2.241 trillion as the government ramp up investments in infrastructure in line with its Build, Build, Build program, under which at least PHP8 trillion is programmed to be spent for roads, bridges and other

infrastructure until 2022.

In the first 10 months this year, deficit rose by nine percent to P234.9 billion against year-ago’s PHP216 billion.

Budget and Management Secretary Benjamin Diokno said the budget deficit to date is around half of the full-year target but he expects this to rise further since the government still had a lot to purchase in the last two months of the

year.

Among these purchases is the planned acquisition of 24 helicopters, he said.

Additional expenses for the remaining months of the year include the disbursement of state workers yearend bonus and payments for government contractors, he said.

“With two months to go before the end of fiscal year we are hoping that actual deficit

would be closer to target deficit,” he said.

Diokno is, however, optimistic that the three percent budget gap goal is attainable in 2018 as more infrastructure projects are scheduled to be implemented.

Relatively, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said a below-target deficit this year is not an issue.

“I dont think it’s going to be by very much,” he added. (PNA)

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DTI identifying PH exporters to join online Asian trading platform

T

he Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has partnered with the Pan-Asian e-Commerce Alliance (PAA), a group of value-added service providers from 11 Asian economies, to include Philippine exporters in a business-to-business (B2B) electronic marketplace created by the alliance.

DTI is currently building the Philippine listing of reliable exporters who will become part of a business matching cooperation as sellers of Filipino export products

and services on an online trading platform, said DTI's Bureau of Small and Medium Enterprise Development director Jerry Clavesillas, in a speech during the recent PAA Fellowship Night in Manila.

This undertaking is a pilot collaboration with Pan Asia Exchange (PAE), a B2B e marketplace created by PAA. Registered Philippine sellers on PAE will initially be matched with buyers from China.

Francis Lopez, president of InterCommerce Network Services, Inc., (INS),

PAA's Philippine member company, told PortCalls on the sidelines of the event that they are fasttracking the finalization of the memorandum of agreement (MOU) to implement PAE. INS is also helping to identify exporters for the listing.

Clavesillas said the "signing of the MOU will be a symbolic big step towards realizing the vision of the marketplace to increase the visibility of the MSMEs in the global market."

He noted that DTI has been forwarding the agenda, anchored on the

MSME Development Plan 2017-2022, to develop a more globally competitive, regionally integrated, highly sustainable, productive, and dynamic MSME sector.

PAE, he said, is a tool for promoting local traders' products on the global market and "thereby contributing to the growth of Philippine exports."

PAA had actually softlaunched PAE in 2015, but Lopez said the system is being re-designed to provide more than just business-matching.

The new platform will have two levels-one

for microenterprises selling locally to bigger companies, and the other for traders selling abroad.

Lopez noted that the platform will be easy to use. By simply registering and providing some details, companies and traders can already connect to the marketplace. About 300 companies that have been using the original platform since 2015 will be migrated to the new platform, Lopez said.

A Chinese partner of PAA, China International Electronic Commerce Center (CIECC), is already

looking for potential buyers of Philippine products in China.

CIECC, an agency under China's Ministry of Commerce that facilitates international cooperation and exchange in electronic commerce with other countries, will also be putting up a bonded warehouse in China for storing Philippine products to make them easily available to Chinese buyers.

Lopez noted that this model is already being done in other countries to speed up deliveries. platform/PAGE 10

On the Proposed Establishment of a Mindanao Wholesale Electricity Spot Market

By David A. Tauli

1. The extension of the Philippine Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) to Mindanao or, stated another way, the incorporation of the Mindanao Grid into the Philippine WESM, is legally and technically possible only when the Visayas-Mindanao Interconnection Project (VMIP) is implemented.

Since the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) estimates that the VMIP can be completed only by 2022, it will be only then that a Mindanao Wholesale Electricity Spot Market can be established within the framework of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 (EPIRA).

2. Therefore, if a Mindanao WESM is to be established before the completion of the VMIP in 2021, it must be established as an independent WESM, physically and operationally isolated from the Philippine WESM. In order that this can be done, an enabling law must be passed directing the Department of Energy to establish a voluntary WESM in Mindanao that is independent of the Philippine WESM. 3. The Mindanao WESM must be established only if it can be shown to result in the

reduction over the long term of the prices or rates paid by consumers for bulk power supply, as compared with projections assuming the current situation of power supply rates in Mindanao.

4. The Mindanao Coalition of Power Consumers (MCPC) takes the position that the enabling law for the isolated Mindanao WESM must have the following provisions: 4.1 The Mindanao WESM must be a voluntary market and not a mandatory market, to be participated in by distribution utility companies, generating companies, and other parties at their own discretion.

4.2 The operation of the Mindanao WESM must be governed by least-cost economic dispatch (LCED), in which the prices of the generating plants submitting an offer to be dispatched are determined by their rates as approved by the ERC in the case of generating plants with existing power purchase agreements (PPAs) with distribution utility (DU) companies, and determined by their submitted bid in the case of generating plants whose output is not covered by PPAs. The result of LCED is that the generating plants that are

dispatched will be paid in accordance with their approved rates or will be paid as bid, unlike in the Philippine WESM where the price for all energy dispatched at each hour or bidding interval is the highest bid that is accepted by the Market Operator at that interval.

4.3 The participation in the Mindanao WESM by distribution utility companies (electric cooperatives and investor-owned DUs) should be approved by the majority of their consumers in the case of the Investor-owned DUs and by the majority of their memberconsumer-owners in the case of the electric cooperatives.

4.4 The enabling law must include implementable safeguards and stringent penalties that could effectively militate against collusion in the Mindanao WESM 5. The MCPC will support the establishment of an isolated Mindanao WESM if the foregoing conditions are incorporated into the enabling law for the establishment of the Mindanao Wholesale Electricity Spot Market.

(Engr. David A. Tauli is the president of the Mindanao Coalition of Power Consumers, MCPC)

Individual college students from all over Mindanao, grouped into two teams here, participate in the Mindanao InterVarsity debate finals held last Sunday at Dynasty Court Hotel in Cagayan de Oro City. photo by mark francisco

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7

Feature

Filinvest CDO staff with Area General Manager Ms. Maria Arabelle Solidum and Branch Manager Ms. Ivy Flores

Filinvest celebrates another mileston in Cagayan de oro

F

ilinvest, one of the country’s largest property developers, continues to expand its nationwide footprint as it marks another milestone in Cagayan de Oro City. Recently, the company topped off Building 2 at One Oasis CDO. This 8-storey residential building is the latest addition in the Asian-Balinese inspired and master-planned community to have a total of five mid-rise enclaves at the heart of downtown CDO. Tristan Las Marias, Filinvest Senior Vice President and Cluster Head for VisayasMindanao, proudly announced that the project construction remains on track.

“Barely 8 months after we broke ground for this second building, unit owners shall have their units turned over to them by early June 2018. Completion and delivery dates are top considerations of

Filinvest, that is why we strive hard to deliver what we promised.”

Las Marias also stressed that Filinvest has positioned One Oasis Cagayan de Oro as a sound investment offering the quickest return for unit owners who wish to capitalize their savings in assets that appreciate as time goes by. “That is one of the reasons that we ensure that the construction and delivery of units are on track as this ensures steady cash income flow for our investors.

The project is designed to cater to the growing demand in Cagayan de Oro and its environs for housing units that are centrally located and offers quick access to key destinations in the city.”

PATCH OF GREEN The 2.7-hectare project boasts of lush greenery, with over 50% of the development dedicated to open

space, landscaped greens, resort-themed amenities, and wide road networks.

“Similar to other Oasis communities across the nation, One Oasis CDO follows Filinvest’s signature features such as wide open spaces, gated and secured community and fine amenities to ensure a complete living and leisure experience for our residents,” Las Marias added.

SPACE OF COMFORT Style and function come together in well-appointed units at One Oasis CDO. Each unit is designed to ensure convenient and comfortable living.

Residents can choose between 28sqm± onebedroom units and a 47sqm± two-bedroom units, designed to ensure convenience and comfortable living.

One Oasis Cagayan de Oro is ideal for young families and professionals looking

for a halfway home or for college students from nearby cities and provinces like Bukidnon, Iligan, Gingoog, Butuan, Pagadian, Zamboanga and Misamis Oriental.

Its enviable location near workplaces, malls, schools and other prime destinations make it an ideal abode. Unit owners are also assured of 24-hour security for peace of mind.

Similar to other Oasis projects, One Oasis CDO, has a property manager responsible for the daily management and operations of the building such as the maintenance of common areas, security, garbage collection, attending to concerns of unit owners.

SPLASH OF SPLENDOR Residents can indulge in resortstyle amenities where residents can unwind and bond at their own

leisure. Fine amenities include a central basketball court, lap pool, kiddie pool, music room, meetings room, clubhouse and gym.

To further boost the milestone celebration, Filinvest also announced that it is extending its Early Move-in promo until the end of the December 2017. The company is also giving away gift certificates worth Php30,000.00 for selected units under the early move-in promo.

Interested buyers who would like to avail of this promo may inquire from authorized Filinvest sales representatives or visit the site office at Rosario Limketkai Avenue or showroom at the ground floor of the Bo’s Coffee Bldg., Don A. Velez-Chaves Streets, Cagayan de Oro City.

To know more about One Oasis Cagayan De Oro and other Filinvest projects, please visit www.filinvest.com.

8

Billboard

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saturday|december 2, 2017

When you’re in Davao City, Read:

HOTELS & RESORTS DIRECTORIES

VILLA MARGARITA HOTEL J. P Laurel Avenue, Bajada, Davao City, Philippines Tel. No.: (082) 221-5674 / Fax No. (082) 226-2968 MICROTEL

By Wyndham Davao Damosa Gateway Complex Angliongto Rd., Lanang Davao City 8000, Philippines Tel +63 82 233 2333 / Mobile +63 917 795 3548 www.microtelphilippines.com PINNACLE HOTEL Sta. Ana Avenue, Davao City.

No. (082) 300-5885 Telefax: 300-1881/ 221-3025 Website: www.thepinnaclehotel.com ALU HOTEL M. Roxas Avenue corner Padre Faura Street, Davao City.

Tel No (63 82) 221-5232 / Mobile (O943) 652 3927 Email: aluhoteldavao@yahoo.com info@alu-hotel.com / www.alu-hotel.com GRAND REGAL Km 7 Lanang, Davao City, Philippines Tel. 235-0888 / Fax 235-2335 email: grandregalhotelegmail.com

VIAJEROS ECONOMY HOTEL Patnubay St., Sandawa, Matina, D.C Tel. No. 297-5710 / Telefax (6382) 298-5134 Mobile: 0922.-8268425 Website: www.viajeroseconomyinn.com

ROYAL MANDAYA HOTEL J.Palma Gil St., Davao City 8000 Phils.

Tel. No. (082) 225-8888 / fax No. (082) 225-1885 info@theroyalrmandayahotel.com www.theroyalmandayahotel.com HOMITORI Bangoy Street corner Santa Ana Avenue, Davao City Tel. No. (082) 295-2969 & 295-2471 / Mobile: (0922) 8994646 Email: homitoridvo@gmail.com or Like us on www.facebook.com/pages/Homitori-Davao BIG APPLE HOTEL Brgy. Angliongto, Lanang, D.C. Hotline Nos.: (082) 234-8459 Facebook account: bigapplehotel@ymail.com Email: bigapple_hotel@ymail.com

THE PERIDOT SUITES Carmelite Drive, Lanang, Davao City Tel. no.: (082) 305-6530 / Fax no.: (082) 305-38I2 Email: theperidotsuiles@gmail.com AZIENDA MEO APARTELLE 11 Corner Pioneer and Doña Vicenta Village, Phase 1, Davao City Telefax. No: (082) 227-4119 & 284-6689 Cell Phone No. 09256652626 Website: www.aziendameo.com Email Add: aziendameo@yahoo.com.ph

Julie Ann San Jose & Ashley Rivera take a groufie at the V7 Re-launch at North EDSA

Julie Ann San Jose and Ashley Rivera:

VIVO’s Newest Local Ambassadors grace V7 re-launch at SM North EDSA R&B singer and Vivo influencer Julie Anne San Jose, DJ and celeb Vlogger Ashley Rivera headlined the VIVO V7 Relaunch held at the Cyberzone Event Center of SM North Edsa, also featured the newest all-male group One Up. The Vivo V7, the latest offering of the famous V smart phone series, was first unveiled in a grand launch at the SM City Bacolod Event Center North Wing last November 18 with Vivo influencer Boyband PH bannering the event.

Ms. Hazel Bascon, Vice President of Vivo Philippines and Head of Sales, welcomed the members of

the media from various networks and bloggers.

Just in time for the holidays, Vivo is also mounting a special Christmas campaign highlighting Vivo as the world’s fifth most popular smart phone, as well as to anchor the traditions of the most awaited holiday of the year.

The Christmas campaign involves booth stands in participating malls where Vivo enthusiasts may take their best Christmas selfies with Santa Claus, say hi to their favorite Vivo Family at the Vivo Phone Booth, get a chance to be Vivo’s all-screen cover girl or cover guy at the

Cover Page booth and experience the new Vivo V7 at the Experience tables.

People who drop by the Vivo booth stand are also entitled to a prize upon completing their rounds in all of the featured booths.

Vivo also recently unveiled another new offering just this November: the Vivo V7. The Vivo V7 promises to be a powerful shooter with an all screen display.

Practically much like its predecessor the V7+ albeit with a more affordable price tag, V7 has 24MP clearer selfie camera, and an all screen 5.7-inch display.

The V7 is the

Big 8 Corporate Hotel Visayan Village, National Highway, Tagum City Mobile nos. 09173029063 & 09328539372 Tel. No.: (084)216-0888 Email: info@big8corporatehotel.com www.facebook.com/big8corporatehotel.com www.big8corporatehotel.com HOTEL ELENA Avenida Santos Ave., Nova Tierra Vill, Lanang, D.C Tel. Nos. (082) 233-1941 & 305.8799 / fax No. (082) 233-1887 PARADISE ISLAND Tel. No. (082) 233-0251 & 300-2343 / CP No.: 09209546780 E-mail: paradiseislanddavao@gmail.com MARCO POLO DAVAO C.M Recto St., Davao City davao@marcopolohotels.com www.marcopolohotels.com (63 82) 221-0888 HOTEL ESSE Brgy. 9-A F Torres Street, Davao City Hotline: No: 227-37-73 / Fax: 295-34-85 Website: www.hotelessedavao.com.ph Email Add: hotel_esse_davao@yahoo.com RUEMANGO APARTELLE & SUITES 516 Mangga St., Juna Subd., Matina, Davao City ruemangoapartelleandsuites@gmail.com www.ruemango.com Tel. Nos.: (082) 295-7175/ 295-7180

Vivo Vees take a groufie with Santa at the V7 Re-launch at SM North Edsa

result of Vivo’s on-going effort in understanding the needs of today’s young people, as the company continues its growth trajectory and international expansion by providing stylish and dynamic products to more consumers to show off their individuality and capture memories worth remembering.

For inquiries about Vivo, visit the Vivo website at www.vivo.com/ph or check out their Facebook (https:// www.facebook. com/VivoPhil), Instagram (https:// www.instagram.com/ vivophil/), and Twitter (https://twitter.com/ vivo_phil) accounts.

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saturday|december 2, 2017

40,000 to play simultaneously in 2018 World Children’s Day A simultaneous playing of some 40,000 kids in one day is eyed as the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and the Philippine Sports Institute (PSI) will bring the Children’s Games to 40 cities and provinces on November 20, 2018 in celebration of the World Children’s Day. PSC Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez, at the sidelines of the second day of the PSI Coordinators’ Meeting and Workshop at the Multipurpose Hall Dorm G, PhilSports Complex here yesterday, said the plan is ambitious but they are more than willing to make it happen.

“Forty simultaneous Children’s Games with 1,000 children in each area, mabigat ito. If we do this every year, we will reach 200,000 children in five years,” the PSC chief said, although adding that the World Children’s Day event is aside from other Children’s Games that will be held in other areas in the countryside until every community in the periphery is reached before the term of President Rodrigo R. Duterte ends in 2022.

He said the Children’s Games, being at the heart of PSC-PSI’s grassroots sports program, meets the requirements of the United Nations’ medium

DIRECTION. Philippine Sports Commissioner Charles Raymond A. Maxey (right) listens to Philippine Sports Institute (PSI) Socsksargen coordinator Henry Dagmil during a workshop on formulating targets for 2018 as the PSI Coordinators’ Meeting and Workshop came to a close at the Multipurpose Hall Dorm G, PhilSports Complex in Pasig City on November 29, 2017. (PSC-PSI Photo)

development plan and the Philippine Constitution.

The Children’s Games, which is also the core of the agency’s Sports for Peace program, has been cited by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) as the first to implement a program that meets its major themes. While other non-government organizations have implemented Children’s Games in other countries, only the Philippines has a government agency that implements it.

“Very important ito (Children’s Games).

Others don’t understand

why we are having Children’s Games. Ito lang ang programa ang narecognize ng Unesco,” he said, adding that regular programs like the Batang Pinoy, Palarong Pambansa and Philippine National Games, which have been existing for quite sometime, have not been given such recognition.

The Children’s Games, designed as a vehicle to promote peace, aims to bring Christian, Lumad and Muslim children 12 years old and below to play together, thus, eliminating barriers of religion and culture.

Children from the

Singapore catches fire on the road to blast Alab

By Ivan Stewart Saldajeno

Xavier Alexander put up a brilliant performance on the road, while AJ Mandani sizzled in his Philippine homecoming as Singapore blasted

Alab, 97-83, in their ABL midweek clash at the Sta. Rosa Multi-Purpose Sports Complex on Wednesday night.

The Slingers whipped

9

Sports

Alab in the fourth period as they scored their second straight win in the ongoing season.

Singapore actually was poised to pull a blowout in the second quarter after fire/PAGE 10

In connection with Xavier University's founding anniversary, the institution held its yearly fun run last Sunday. Pictured here is Miss Cagayan de Oro 2015 Charinna Barro. photo by mark francisco

marginalized sector including the children in conf lict with the law (CICL), out-of-school youth, streetchildren, children displaced by war and abused children are also part of the program.

Youth volunteerism is also being promoted in the Children’s Games through the Ate and Kuya sports volunteers program.

Ramirez added, “This is a legacy we want to leave, that we have supported the children’s right to play and helped in the formation of values and character of future mothers, fathers, policemen, leaders of the country.” (PSC-PSI)

Fil-Am golf fires off Dec 2, lures record 1,300 players

By Primo Agatep

The chilly morning weather, mental toughness, and course management are among the key factors in waging fairway battles by a record field of 1,300 golfers from the Asia-Pacific region in the hunt for top honors at the 68th Department of Tourism (DOT) Fil-Am Invitational.

The world’s biggest amateur golf tournament will be held starting Dec. 2 at the short but tricky par61 Baguio Country Club (BCC) and the long par-69 Camp John Hay (CJH) golf courses here.

Anthony De Leon, general manager of BCC and co-chair of the tournament, expressed gratitude for the support of government through the DOT. “We are very happy to partner with the government (through) DOT, taking cognizance of what golf (and) sports tourism is all about,” said De Leon. “We look golf/PAGE 10

OROBANKERS DIRECTORIES CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY

A PUBLIC SERVICE BY:

AMANAH/ISLAMIC BANK V. Neri Street Carmen, Cdoc 858988/8587965 / 722274

METRO BANK- COGON Osmeña Hayes St. Cdoc | 726438/8572057

ASIA UNITED BANK Cor.Camp Alagar Road Lapasan, Cdoc 729678 / 8568893

METRO BANK- CARMEN Max Suniel St. Carmen, Cdoc 8581722/ 8585162

BDO – VELEZ Velez-Rn Abejuela Street, Cdoc 2314246/8572075

METRO BANK- LAPASAN CM Recto Lapasan HW, Cdoc 724461/8561721

BDO – SM G/F SM City, Master Son’s Avenue Upper Carmen Cdoc | 8592623/8592637

METRO BANK- OSMEÑA Brgy Osmeña St. Cdoc | 722014 /8800924

BDO – XU XU Lib. Annex Corrales St. Cdoc 8574108 / 8573796

METRO BANK- CORRALES Corrales Avenue, Cdoc | 8572635/728731

BDO – CDO HAYES Trendline Bldg.,Hayes Street, 8568151/727405

METRO BANK- GAISANO 8561720

BDO – COGON Sky hi Bldg JR Borja St. Cogon, Cdoc 8577963/ 725209/ 725203 BDO – OSMEÑA Osmeña corner Ramon Chavez St. Cdoc 724567/8563727 BDO – LAPASAN Lapasan Highway Cdoc 8563233 /8563234 / 725178 BDO – RN- PELAEZ George Town CyberMall Rn Pelaez Blvd Kauswagan Cdoc | 8562617/729052 BDO – CARMEN Maxsuniel cor.V Neri St. Carmen, .Cdoc 8584854 /8581133 BANK OF COMMERCE- VELEZ Akut- Velez St.Cdoc | 8564371 / 726880 BANK OF COMMERCE- LAPASAN

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PBCOM Tiano-HayesSt. Cdoc | 726519/8571558 PLANTERS DEVELOPMENT BANK

Tiano Bros St. Cdoc | 727083 /727082 PHILTRUST BANK Ramonal OsmeñaSt. CDO 8807234/2316694/2316695 PNB- CORRALES Corrales Avenue Cdoc | 729500 / 729723

PNB- LKK MALL NORTH CONCOURSE

LKK Mall N.Concourse Cdoc 8574149/8575682

PNB- CARMEN Elipe Bldg.Carmen, Cdoc | 8583158/ 8584203 PNB- LKK LKK Lapasan, Cdoc | 8564347/722872 PNB CDO– DIVISORIA Tiano Bros.Cruz Taal St., Cdoc 722861 /722816 PNB CDO– LAPASAN LKK Center Lapasan, Cdoc | 8564732 / 723992 PNB CDO– COGON LKK Center Lapasan, Cdoc 8571991/ 723992 PHILIPPINE POSTAL SAVINGS BANK, INC. bels_domingo@yahoo.com.ph Rizal Chavez Cdoc 8572194/725438 PS BANK Velez Corner A. Mabini St., Cdoc 8574183/725184 PHILIPPINE VETERANS BANK Tiano-Abejuela St. Cdoc 722644/8573386 QUEEN CITY DEVELOPMENT BANK, INC. Sacred Heart Mont. Cm RectoAve., Cdoc 8562390 RCBC- VELEZ Velez-Borja St. Cdoc | 8564982/8568888 RCBC- COGON Simplex Bldg. Osmeña St. Cdoc 8562888/725863/8521329 RCBC- LAPASAN Cm. Recto Lapasan HW. Cdoc 8561888/722449 RCBC- LKK Gateway, Tower 1 LkkCenter, Cdoc 8563707/722449 RCBC SAVINGS- CARMEN Walingwaling St.,Carmen St. Cdoc 8585793/ 8586248 RCBC SAVINGS- VELEZ Velez St. Cdoc | 729083/8562460 RCBC SAVINGS- AGORA 8807891/8807892 RURAL BANK OF CABADBARAN, Inc.

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EAST WEST BANK Cogon De Oro Constraction Bldg. LKK Drive 8500339/8500331

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ENTERPRISE BANK INC. Centro Mariano Bldg Osmeña St. Cdoc 723869/ 3093395 FIRST CONSOLIDATED BANK CM Recto Ave., Cor.Agudo Road Cdoc 8565360/2316678 LBP – CAPISTRANO Capsitrano St. Cdoc | 8565515/727678 LBP – VELEZ LunaVelez St. | 723549/8563198 LBP – PUERTO Puerto Cdoc | 8558858 MAYBANK JR Borja Tiano Cor. Bldg. Cdoc 8574439/726060 METRO BANK- DIVISORIA Pabayo Abejuela St. Divisoria Park, Cdoc 724783/8576999 METRO BANK- VELEZ A. Velez St. Cdoc | 8561724/726054 METRO BANK- JR BORJA JR Borja St. Cdoc | 8572999/724415

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saturday|december 2, 2017

Maps... from page 3

therefore profit,” he said.

Parag Sachdeva, DMPL group chief financial officer, said the company would be on an “investment mode” for this year and next.

“We would be investing more than the usual in consumer and trade activation programs so that we can really accelerate in a declining category,” he said, referring to canned fruits, which have been overtaken by consumer preference for fresh fruits.

“This will require us to really invest, which will mean that profit performance in the next couple of years may be either flat or might even decline. That would lead to rebuilding the profit story in the next two or three years,” Mr. Sachdeva said.

“We are investing an incremental 3% of sales in driving the top-line growth,” he said, pointing out that the move would be for the company’s US business.

Asked to describe the size of the US operations as against the total, Mr. Sachdeva said: “I think it’s around 75%.

It’s a big component from a sales perspective. But from a profit perspective, our Asian operation contributes more than 50% to the profitability of the company. We do expect the US to start contributing bigger from a profitability perspective in two to three years time.”

For full-year results ending in April 2017, DMPL reported sales of $2.3 billion, down 0.9%, largely because of lower US sales.

Keen... from page 3

0935 161 3398

856-3344 / 74-53-80

run-of-river hydropower project along Siguil River in Sarangani province.

“Hopefully, before the end of the year, we would have signed an EPC contract,” he said.

Alsons is now focusing its expansion on renewable energy. Mr. Nocos said given the supply-demand situation, the company had foreseen the need for renewables in the Mindanao grid.

“This is two-fold. One, there is a need to develop available resources and secondly, there’s also a need to help the utilities with their compliance with RPS (renewable portfolio standard),” he said, referring to a yet-to-be issued regulation that would require power distributors to source a portion of their requirements from renewables.

Alsons has ser vice contracts for 82.3 MW of capacity for hydro projects, while another 67 MW has yet to get clearance from the Department of Energy. The projects are in various stages of development.

The first one targeted for completion is the Siguil run-of-river hydropower project, whose project cost is estimated at P3.7 billion.

The facility will be located at the Siguil River basin in Maasim, Sarangani province.

It is under subsidiary Alsons Renewable Energy Corp.,

the direct owner of project company Siguil Hydro Power Corp.

“The target completion date of this project is May 2020 and we’re bidding for Socoteco (South Cotabato Electric Cooperative) II’s requirement for 2020, there’s an upcoming tender and we’ll be participating in that tender,” Mr. Nocos said.

Next is a hydro project in Bago City on Negros island, which Mr. Nocos said has a projected requirement of 40 MW by around May 2021. “ This is going to be timed with the expiration of some of the PSAs (power supply agreements) that these electric cooperatives have with coal-fired power plants. The intention is to shift some of that load from coal to hydro,” Mr. Nocos said, adding the move would be prudent in helping the utilities in mitigate the fuel price risks that most thermal power plants are exposed to.

“Aside from these two plants, we have a couple of other projects in Mindanao that we are developing. And consistent with our approach with the other projects, the timing of the construction and completion of these plants will also have to be matched with the requirements of our prospective customers,” he said.

Mr. Nocos said Alsons is projected to have a power capacity of 750 MW by 20222023, of which 150 MW would come from hydro power. A plan to expand to solar power is on hold, pending clarity on the direction from regulators on whether there would be another round of guaranteed feed-in-tariff for the energy source, he said.

Amnesty... from page 5

in tranches. “ We h a v e n’t r e a l l y determined yet but certainly, I think, we will start with the estate taxes,” he said.

Finance Undersecretary Antonette Tionko said the proposed estate tax amnesty program needs Congress’ approval even though the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has some power to give amnesty.

“The BIR is certain that they may need surcharge...

Generally, amnesty needs legislation but there are ways to do it administratively,” she said.

Tionko added that the proposed amnesty measure gives taxpayers who have pending cases a chance to avail of the program. “ T he re are a l ot of taxpayers who can’t pay because the interest is 20 percent per annum... You have to put it in the law that they can avail (of the tax amnesty),” she added. (PNA)

Platform... from page 6

The Chinese partner can also help re-label Philippine products to add "a local flavor" and attract more local buyers, as well as do promotions such as exhibits and trade fairs.

PAE will also be deployed

in other Asian countries, initially in places where there are PAA partners.

Aside from PAE, PAA also has 1Trade.Exchange, another online platform for crossborder trade and logistics, and Buyer Recruitment for MSME sellers. Lopez said that in 1Trade.Exchnage, users can exchange trading documents such as bill of lading, invoice, and packing list.

The idea, he said, is that users can store, use, and reuse their trading documents for cross-border transactions without the need to input or upload the same document all over again with every transaction.

1Trade.Exchange was launched in Malaysia last S eptemb er and will b e introduced next in Thailand an d In d on e s i a . In t h e Philippines, the target launch is by the third quarter of next year.

PAA aims to promote and provide secure, trusted, reliable and value-adding IT infrastructure and facilities to enhance seamless trade globally. PAA's current members include CAT of Thailand, CIECC of China, CrimsonLogic of Singapore, Dagang Net of Malaysia, INS of the Philippines, KTNET of South Korea, NACCS of Japan, TEDMEV of Macao, Tradelink of Hong Kong, Trade-Van of Taiwan, and PT EDI-I of Indonesia.

C ombi ne d c ustomer base of the PAA members now exceeds 340,000 organizations, representing almost all active trading enterprises in the Asian market.

The group's current key priority area is digitalization, as PAA is well positioned to play a key role in this area with its work in driving frictionless cross-border trade. -- www.portcalls.com

Fire...

from page 9

opening the period on an 11-4 run to lead by 15, 3419. The visiting side kept the double-digit spread for the remainder of the second and most of the third.

Alab, however, threatened to take the lead after going on a 16-4 run of its own to draw to within one, 71-72.

The Slingers started the

fourth on a 12-0 to finally break away for good.

Xavier Alexander led Singapore with a tripledouble of 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists with four steals, while Mandani added 17 markers, one board, four dimes, and three steals.

Ryan Wright imposed his will inside and finished with 24 points, 18 rebounds, and a block, while Ng Han Bin collected 18 points on four triples.

Reggie Okosa tallied 24 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and two steals for Alab.

Box Scores: Singapore 97-Alexander 27, Wright 24, Ng 18, Mandani 17, Goh 11, Oh 0, Low 0, Lim 0 A lab 83-Okosa 24, Joh n s on 19, Pa rk s 14 , Urbiztondo 11, Sumalinog 7, Domingo 5, Hontiveros 2, Raymundo 1, Maierhofer 0, Celiz 0, Alabama 0 Quarterscores: 23-15, 50-38, 74-71, 97-83 (PNA)

Golf... from page 9

forward for a continued partnership in the years to come.”

Tim A l len, CJH golf manager and co-chair of the event, said it will be a challenging two weeks of golfing in this pine-clad and cool city, the summer capital of the country.

Tournament proper fires off Saturday with flights from F, G and H of the Seniors a nd Reg u la r d iv isions , respectively.

Top contenders in the Seniors Division are Luisita GC, Manila Southwoods and Megafiber Team, all in the Fil Championship class, along with Manila Southwoods, Luisita GC, Haciendas de Naga, Dugong Bughaw, Camp John Hay and Baguio City Golf team, in the Am Championship class.

On Dec. 8, the tournament shif ts to high gear with t h e r e g u l a r f l i g ht s — Championship, A,B,C D and E. M e a n w h i l e , Representative Mark Go of the Lone District of Baguio and City Mayor Mauricio Domogan led Thursday’s ceremonial tee off which signalled the opening of the tournament. (PNA)

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Myth... from page 1

rain, which in turn causes respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Calling it clean is oxymoronic.”

The myth of “clean coal” is premised on the development of technologies that would supposedly reduce harmful emissions and their escape into the atmosphere. One of these technologies is the Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), which aims to capture carbon dioxide emissions and subsequently store them in underground saline aquifers or depleted oil and gas fields.

Howe ve r, t h e s e technologies come at exorbitant costs, and with a disma l t rack re cord.

“According to the Global CCS Institute, it is estimated that $100 billion annually will be spent to develop CCS technologies. Retrofitting these to older coal plants would most likely cost even more,” claims CEED Legal Officer Avril De Torres.

“The recent suspension of operations of the Kemper County plant in Mississipi shows that “clean coal” technologies are decades far from being fully developed and widely deployed. The Kemper County plant was envisioned to be a flagship, cutting-edge project that would pioneer coal gasification and CCS technologies. And yet, after years of delay and billions spent over its projected budget, Kemper County plant’s operations lasted for only 200 days. Operations were abruptly suspended due to issues with its “clean coal” technologies,” added De Torres.

Additionally, a recent res e arch conduc te d by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis and the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities predicts the imminent stranding of all existing and f uture co a l plants in the Philippines. The stranding of coal plants will inevitably include “clean coal” technologies with it.

In the context of the urgent global climate action ushered in by the Paris Agreement, and the continuous drastic decrease in the cost of renewable energy, any talks of forming a global clean coal alliance is misplaced and illogical.

A new research from Morgan Stanley already states that numerous key markets have reached an inflection point, where renewables will become the cheapest form of energy in less than three years. According to De Torres, the Philippines is already experiencing a drastic drop in the cost of renewables.

“Just two months ago, a solar company entered into a power supply agreement with Meralco, the biggest distribution utility company in the country, at Php 2.99 kWh. This is a rate that is much lower than the average coal electricity production price of coal plants in the pipeline at Php 3.66 kWh,” she explained.

According to government data, the Philippines has a vast untapped RE potential at 250,000 MW. If properly utilized, the country is set to be an RE leader in Southeast Asia. Thus, the claim that the Philippines has no choice but to generate electricity from coal cannot be farther from the truth.

“Coal is coming to its end. There is no need to further invest in and develop technologies that would “clean” an obsolete and dirty energy. Any talks of alliance should be focused on decarbonization and the advancement of renewables” concludes Buenaagua.

Halal... from page 1

explore t he ha la l fo o d business should grab the opportunity now that the Halal Verification Laboratory has opened.

“With the laboratory, they can really test their products and the buying public will be assured that the food they buy has the halal certified sticker,” she said.

On Friday, DOST opened the laboratory as part of t he i mpl e ment at i on of Republic Act No. 10817 or the “Philippine Halal Export Development and Promotion Act of 2016.”

DOST regional director Dr. Anthony Sales said the facility will serve as a laboratory processing facility which can be used by the manufacturers for halal certification.

“We can serve as thirdparty laboratory for halal producers to make sure that there are no ‘haram’ c ont a m i n a nt s i n t h e i r products,” he said.

Under the certification process, the producers need to have a Halal Assurance System to ensure there are no contaminants on their product.

“They (manufacturers) can come to us and have their products checked,” he said.

He said the facility has the state-of-the-art equipment that will ensure that products to be checked are well analyzed.

Services offered in the laboratory are Porcine DNA Detection, Alcohol Content Determination, and Amino Acid Profiling.

Porcine DNA Detection is the test method that will determine the presence or absence of pork (porcine DNA) using Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR).

Alcohol Content Determination will analyze the concentration of ethanol by using head space Gas C h ro m at o g r ap hy Ma s s Spectrometry.

The sample scopes are fermented foods, sauce, v i ne g ar, h e r b s , spi c e s , carbonated and premix drinks. Then, the Amino Acid Profiling will determine the relative amount of 17 amino acids in raw collagen, gelatin and capsules by using Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry.

The National Commission

on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) lauded the opening of the Halal Verification Laboratory in the city. NCMF regional director Norhaida Lumaan said the Muslim communities not just in the Philippines but also abroad, will benefit from this project.

“We Muslims should consume halal not only for ourselves but also for our business,” she said.

Lumaan also encouraged fo o d manufac turers to produce more halal products for export.

With the establishment of the laboratory, she said the NCMF will organize an accredited halal certification body in Davao City.

She said only three such bodies in the Philippines and are located in Manila, Cotabato City, and General Santos City.

Some exporters have their products certified abroad as there are some certifiers in the country that do not follow the standards of Muslim countries in the Middle East.

E ar l i e r, Mayor S ar a Duterte-Carpio expressed optimism about the prospects of the city’s halal products with the opening of the lab.

“The launch of the Halal Verification Laboratory is envisioned to increase the profitability of halal products from Davao in neighboring cities in Mindanao and in the Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines-East Asean Growth Area (BIMPEAGA),” Duterte-Carpio said.

The mayor, who is also the chair p ers on of the Davao City Halal Industry Development Council, said the acknowledgment of the importance of the halal industry is reflective of the respect for cultural diversity in the country.

“And since Mindanao has the biggest of Muslim communities, it is only appropriate that we are at the forefront in terms of the efforts to ensure that our products are halal-certified,” she said.

“The advent of this Halal Verification Laborator y will also position us in a better advantage in the halal industry in Asia than ever before,” she said.

Expands...

from page 1 CDI,” the city mayor said.

The city is the eighth in the country that was chosen by USAID to join the CDI. The project is being implemented in the cities of Batangas, Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo, Puerto Princesa, Tagbilaran, Zamboanga and Legazpi.

A project briefer said U S A I D, t h rou g h t h e initiative, “works closely with city governments outside Metro Manila to fulfill their potential as engines of inclusive, environmentally sustainable, and resilient growth.”

It will provide a range of technical assistance to the city government in terms of economic growth, health, environment, governance, and education.

Hardy said the expansion of CDI in the city is part

of USAID’s long-standing partnership with the local government.

He said that the agency had mainly helped build the city international airport, the Makar or city port and the area’s road networks.

Under the project, he said USAID would work with the city, government, civil society and the private sector to make the city more appealing to investors.

Hardy said they would assist the city in linking up its markets with the rural areas to promote economic growth and expand industries “so that they can produce more sustainable revenues.” “ That means more money, more jobs and more (development) opportunities for the area,” he said.

The CDI will also help strengthen the area’s quality of health, education and services as well as promote environmental resilience and inclusive governance. “(This) means more opportunities for the civil society to become more engaged in the affairs of the region, city and province,” he said.

Through the help of the initiative, Hardy said they envision the city to eventually become a key economic, commercial and industrial hub in the country.

“It will later take leadership role in assisting other cities as well,” he said.

Lawyer Raul Miguel, president of the General Santos City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, lauded the city’s inclusion into the CDI. He noted that there are a lot of things that the city needs to improve on, especially in terms of public services and governance.

“We really appreciate t h e c i t y g o v e r n m e nt’s commitment to improve our business climate and the governance aspect,” he said.(PNA)

Recovering...

from page 1 Exporters Association, Inc. (PBGEA) Executive Director Stephen A. Antig said in an e-mail interview.

Mr. Antig noted that the industry has been losing ground since 2012 as banana producers in Latin America have been encroaching into traditional markets such as Japan, China, South Korea, New Zealand and the Middle East.

He also noted that big markets such as Japan have granted competitors market access without duty while Philippine bananas are levied an 8.4% tariff during the offseason for Japanese fruits.

An 18.4% tariff is levied in season.

“To regain our market share we will produce and export more bananas with the highest quality we can muster,” Mr. Antig added.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said banana output in 2016 was 4.64 million metric tons (MT).

The 2016 output closely matches 2012’s 4.69 million MT, just before Panama

disease and typhoon Pablo (international name: Bopha) hit banana farms, pulling down output to 4.23 million MT in 2013.

PBGEA is also looking forward for government assistance in easing trade barriers, with talks expected to start next year.

The PSA estimates that the value of banana exports in 2016 was $617.53 million on a free-on-board (FOB) basis, down 6.1%.

During the first nine months of 2017, exports declined 0.4% to $488.84 million FOB. In September, banana exports fell 38.7% to $58.73 million. “ This encro achment into our markets have been raised with the Departments of Agriculture (DA), Trade (DTI) and Finance (DoF).

DA and DTI informed us that tariff issues will be taken up next year in the first quarter,” Mr. Antig said.

Malaria... from page 4

Change in fortunes?

Maybe. Hopefully! The long-term global decline in malaria-related deaths has helped cut child mortality, driving a sharp increase in global life expectancy.

The WHO has repeatedly made announcement on “the massive roll-out of effective disease-cutting tools” and “impressive reductions in cases and deaths.”

Mosquito nets soaked in insecticide — mostly delivered through mass distribution campaigns — are the primary method of protection. But in sub-Saharan Africa fewer than half of households have sufficient access to them. “If we continue with a business-asusual approach — employing the same level of resources and the same interventions — we will face near-certain increases in malaria cases and deaths,” Ghebreyesus said. How about the situation in the Philippines? I miss updated reports.

Malaria – Can it be vanquished?

Some 80 percent of malaria deaths take place in just 15 countries — 14 sub-Saharan African nations and India.

Emergency work is underway in Nigeria, South Sudan, Venezuela and Yemen, where ongoing humanitarian crises pose further public health risks.

Several countries in the Middle East and central Asia have been certified as malaria-free in the last decade, including Morocco, Armenia and Turkmenistan. Last year, Kyrgyzstan and Sri Lanka joined their ranks, having gone three years without recording an indigenous case of malaria.

“We are up against a tough adversary,” Ghebreyesus said.

“But I am also convinced that this is a winnable battle.” +++ Email: doringklaus@gmail. com or follow me in Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn or visit www.germanexpatinthephilippines.blogspot.com or www. klausdoringsclassicalmusic. blogspot.com.

RevGov... from page 4

a decision pursuant to the Constitution, which says that all government authority emanate from the people.

On the other hand, as the legitimate representative of the citizenry, the President has the right to act to solve the deadly and destructive problems it is facing with right now, all of which were merely passed on to him by his predecessors in the presidency.

The president’s “contract” with the people, as it were, requires him to uplift the country and its citizens. If the president can no longer do this because the systems in place have become useless and ineffective since they are the by-product of a useless and ineffective Constitution that Corazon Aquino espoused, the sitting president has the right to put up a system that would be responsive to the needs of Filipinos, and this includes a revolutionary government.

-ooo WATCH ANG TANGING DAAN” AT FACEBOOK: “Ang Tanging Daan” is a Bible exposition and prayer session for everyone, in English and Filipino, 24/7, worldwide, that can be viewed at www.facebook. com/angtangingdaan.

Please see the video section.

Reactions: 0917 984 24 68, 0918 574 0193, 0977 805 9058. Email:batasmauricio@ yahoo.com

Branding... from page 2

have a strong brand," Nebrao added.

The participants learned branding musts and the 5Ps of an irresistible product: "identifying your People or market their needs and wants, understanding the Pain of the market, creating the solution or Promise, the uniqueness, being the market guide or leader in the Process, and having a Price based on your product's value."

They also learned the latest market trends on p a ck ag i ng , i ntel l e c tu a l property registration and its importance, and barcoding.

The producer-MSME participants came from the province's two batches of the KMME. (DTI-Agusan del Sur/PIA-Agusan del Sur)

Mindanao Daily TARPS-STICKERS-NEWS

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0935-1613398 mdntarps@gmail.com

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